Honors 2302: Topics in Mathematics
Course description (from catalog): This course focuses on quantitative literacy in logic, patterns, and
relationships. Students will interpret key mathematical concepts and apply quantitative tools to
everyday experience.
Honors 2302B: Graph Theory and Its Applications
Academic Semester: Fall 2015
Course description (from catalog): This course engages students in the study of important topics in
graph theory through its applications and through proofs designed to strengthen mathematical
techniques. The course will emphasize developing critical thinking and applications to modern problems.
Instructor: Dr. Daniela Ferrero
Office number: MCS 553
Departmental phone: (512) 245-3743
Email: dferrero@txstate.edu
Name & email address of TA: TBA
Office hours: TBA
General Education Core Curriculum (Code 020)
Mathematics Component Outcomes:
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Students will articulate quantitative literacy in logic, patterns and relationships.
Students will explain/apply/interpret key mathematical concepts and apply appropriate
quantitative tools to everyday experience.
Core Objectives/Competencies Outcomes:
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Critical Thinking
o Students will demonstrate creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis,
evaluation and synthesis of information.
Communication
o Students will effectively develop, interpret and express ideas through written, oral and
visual communication .
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Empirical and Quantitative Skills
o Students will manipulate and analyze numerical data or observable facts resulting in
informed conclusions.
Additional department or instructor course outcomes (optional):
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Students will express basic concepts and ideas in graph theory.
Students will develop problem-solving skills through selected homework.
Students will describe mathematical ideas appropriately both orally and in writing.
Students will construct mathematical models for real life situations.
Students will practice making conjectures and explaining mathematics.
Students will apply creative and critical-thinking through the initiation of independent research.
Other syllabi elements:
Assigned reading, instructor’s grading policy, attendance policy, Texas State University Honor Code, date
& time for final examination, statement for students with special needs, statement on civility in
classroom (optional), brief course outline and schedule of assignments for semester. Click here to enter
text.
Required Textbook:
Barabasi, Albert-Laszlo. Linked: How Everything Is Connected to Everything Else and What It Means for
Business, Science, and Everyday Life, Basic Books, 2014.
Chartrand, Gary. Introductory Graph Theory, Dover Publications, 2012.
Course Outline:
Graph theory is used today in physical sciences, social sciences, computer science and other areas.
Therefore, some knowledge in the field is essential for students with any major. Graph Theory has
grown dramatically during the past fifty years nurtured from the large number of its applications. This
nature makes Graph Theory a very suitable perspective to incorporate mathematics into
interdisciplinary studies. Curricular courses in Mathematics often present applications of results in
other fields, but very seldom explain how the need of solutions to present real life problems
shapes the development of Mathematics. As a consequence, students do not perceive Mathematics
as a living science whose advancement is determined by interdisciplinary work. This course intends to
prepare students in different majors for interdisciplinary work, emphasizing the communication of
ideas and the relationship between concepts in different fields. The use of a problem centered and
research-based approach will provide an environment as close as possible to real world situations.
Contents
1. Mathematical Models
Nonmathematical and mathematical models
Graphs and modeling
Networks
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2. Transportation Problems
The Königsberg Bridge Problem: An Introduction to Eulerian Graphs
The Salesman's Problem: An Introduction to Hamiltonian Graphs
3. Connectivity Problems
The Minimal Connector Problem: An Introduction to Trees
Trees and Probability
Evolutionary Networks in Sciences
Project Management: PERT and the Critical Path Method
4. Party Problems
The Problem of Eccentric Hosts: An Introduction to Ramsey Numbers
The Dancing Problem: An Introduction to Matching
5. Games and Puzzles
The Problem of the Four Multicolored Cubes: A Solution to "Instant Insanity"
The Knight's Tour
The Tower of Hanoi
The Three Cannibals and Three Missionaries Problem
6. Digraphs as mathematical models
A Traffic System Problem: An Introduction to Oriented Graphs
Tournaments
Paired Comparisons and How to Fix Elections
7. Graphs and Sociology models
The Problem of Balance
The Problem of Clustering
Graphs and Transactional Analysis
8. Planar graphs and colorings
The Three Houses and Three Utilities Problem: An Introduction to Planar Graphs
A Scheduling Problem: An Introduction to Chromatic Numbers
The Four Color Problem
9. Graphs and other fields in Mathematics
Graphs and Matrices
Graphs and Topology
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Class
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Topic
Introduction. Mathematical models.
Graphs and modeling.
Transportation Problems. The Königsberg Bridge Problem: Eulerian Graphs.
The Salesman's Problem: Hamiltonian Graphs.
Connectivity Problems. The Minimal Connector Problem and Trees.
Trees and Probability.
Evolutionary Networks in Sciences.
Interconnection Networks. Design and Modeling.
Interconnection Networks. Routing and Algorithms.
Project Management: PERT and the Critical Path Method.
Party Problems. The Problem of Eccentric Hosts: Ramsey Numbers.
The Dancing Problem: An Introduction to Matching.
Games and Puzzles.
Chessboard problems. The Knight's Tour.
Domination in Graphs. Project proposals due.
Stable marriage problem and Gale-Shapley algorithm.
The Tower of Hanoi. The Three Cannibals and Three Missionaries Problem.
Digraphs as mathematical models. A Traffic System Problem: Oriented Graphs.
Tournaments. Paired Comparisons and How to Fix Elections.
Graphs and Sociology models. The Problem of Balance.
The Problem of Clustering. Graphs and Transactional Analysis.
The Three Houses and Three Utilities Problem: Planar Graphs.
Planar graphs and colorings.
A Scheduling Problem: Chromatic Numbers.
The Four Color Problem.
Graphs and Matrices
Graphs and Topology.
Presentations.
Presentations.
Presentations.
Course Requirements:
Research Project Proposal: Students will select a topic of their choice to elaborate an individual research
project. The proposed project should include one or more problems in graph theory and its relationship to
problems in other fields, and mention at least one real life situation where the graph problem applies.
The project proposal is a two-page description of the project a student intends to work on,
specifying goals, methodology and resources to be used. A grade will be assigned depending on the
quality of the research, as well as the interpretation and the presentation of the material. The Research
Project Proposal will count as 5% of the final grade.
Research Project: The Project does not have a maximum number of pages as the ideal length varies
depending on the nature of the project. A grade will be assigned depending on the quality of the
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research, as well as the interpretation and the presentation of the material. The Research Project will
demonstrate students’ ability to master Mathematical Component Area Outcomes through mastery of
key mathematical concepts and applications to modern problems. The Research Project will also
demonstrate students’ critical thinking skills in analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information, and
communication skills in how they effectively develop, interpret and express ideas through written
communication. The Research Project will require students to demonstrate empirical and quantitative
skills as they manipulate and analyze numerical data to make informed conclusions. Guidelines and
samples of both project proposals and projects will be posted on the TRACS site. The Research Project
will count as 70% of the final grade.
Problem Folder: Each student must submit a selection of his/her favorite 20 homework problems.
Students will be assessed based on the choice of problems, the originality of their solutions and the
quality of their writing. The Problem Folder will count as 20% of the final grade.
Oral Presentation: A 10-minute oral presentation will accompany each r e s e a r c h project.
Presentations will be scheduled during the last days of classes. The goal of the presentation is to
provide an overview of the work involved in the project and the results obtained. The Oral Presentation
will demonstrate students’ communication skills in how they effectively develop, interpret and express
ideas orally. The Presentation will count as 5% of the final grade.
Grading: Students will be graded based on their scores on t h e f o l l o w i n g :
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R e s e a r c h P r o j e c t P r o p o s a l (5%)
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R e s e a r c h P r o j e c t (70%)
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Problem Folder (20%)
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Oral Presentation (5%)
Grading Policy:
If a student drops the class within the university deadline to withdraw, the instructor will assign a W
grade, even in the cases when the deadline for an automatic W has passed. However, once the dropping
deadline has passed, the instructor cannot assign a W grade.
Incomplete grades are extremely rare and limited to special circumstances. Applications for an I grade
have to be presented at the Math Office (MCS 470), and will only be considered for the instructor’s
approval if the student average over the part of the course he/she has taken corresponds to a grade of A
or B.
Cheating and/or plagiarism during tests, exam or extra credit homework assignments will result in an
automatic F grade and the Chair of the Honor Code Council will be informed of any incidence following
the procedure outlined in:
http://www.txstate.edu/effective/upps/upps-07-10-01.html
Academic Integrity:
Cheating and/or plagiarism during tests, exam or extra credit homework assignments will result in an
automatic F grade and the Chair of the Honor Code Council will be informed of any incidence following
the procedure outlined in:
http://www.txstate.edu/effective/upps/upps-07-10-01.html
The document indicated above contains explicit definitions of what constitutes cheating and plagiarism.
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Dropping/withdrawing:
To drop a class means removing that class from your schedule, but having at least one class left.
Withdrawing means dropping all classes. To drop a class, log on to Texas State Self- Service menu and
select the option Registration/Schedule Changes.
There is a university deadline to drop a class with full refund, another deadline to drop with an automatic
W, and a third deadline to withdraw a class. If a student drops the class within the university deadline to
withdraw, the instructor will assign a W grade, even in the cases when the deadline for an automatic W
has passed. However, once the dropping deadline has passed, the instructor cannot assign a W grade.
Therefore, it is important to check the deadlines posted in:
http://www.registrar.txstate.edu/persistent-links/academic-calendar.html
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